Helping you achieve your hopes and ambitions

Person-centered therapy (PCT)

Person–centered therapy (PCT) is a form of talk-psychotherapy developed by psychologist Carl Rogers in the 1940s and 1950s.

Person-centred therapy is a humanistic approach that deals with the ways in which individuals perceive themselves consciously. Created in the 1950s by American psychologist, Carl Rogers, the person-centred approach assumes that we all have an innate tendency to aspire towards our full potential. Sometimes our life experiences, especially those that affect our sense of value or worth can block or distort our ability to do this.

Using our therapeutic relationship I aim to understand your experience from within your shoes. Through our sessions we will essentially help you to reconnect with your inner values and sense of self-worth. We shall facilitate personal growth and your relationships by allowing you to explore and utilise your own strengths and individualism. The reconnection and rebuilding of your own inner resources enables you to once again find your way to move forward and achieve your aspirations.

Other related changes that can be cultivated within person centred therapy include:

A coming together of your idealised and actual self.

An improvement in self-expression.

A greater ability to trust and rely on yourself.

A greater self-understanding and awareness.

Healthier current and future relationships.

An overall healthy sense of change.

A decrease in negative emotions

Generally, person-centred counselling can help individuals of all ages with a range of personal issues. It can be an appealing approach to many, due to the client led nature, you are in control of the content and pace of the sessions. This approach to counselling with the client led non-directive style can be of great benefit if you have a strong urge to explore yourself and your feelings, while also helping if you wish to explore specific psychological habits or patterns of thought.

Evidence shows that the person-centred approach can be particularly useful in the treatment of the following conditions:

Depression

Anxiety

Personality disorders

Eating disorders

Alcohol addictions

These issues can have significant impact on your self-esteem, self-reliance and self-awareness, but person-centred therapy can help you to regain control of these aspects of self and make changes to meet your personal goals.

Before deciding to have PCT, it might be helpful to think about the following:

Is long-term therapy right for me? If you are feeling generally unhappy, unfulfilled, or demotivated Person-Centred counselling may be more appropriate.

Am I comfortable thinking about my feelings? PCT actively revolves around you becoming more aware of your emotions. Some people can find this uncomfortable or distressing.

How much time can I commit? PCTinvolves reflective thinking between sessions with me. This will mean a time commitment needs to be made, and a willingness to engage in self-awareness exercises.

Do I have a clear problem to solve? If you have a more specific issue, particularly troubling symptoms, or a specific aspect of your life you want to work on more long-term therapy like PCT may not be necessary. If this is the case have a look at the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that I offer.